BC Remove and Replace Skill

[inquis]

once you are about to flip the tank around your back into position

I find the over-the-head FAR easier. Arms are put through the straps first and everything slides into place.

 

[Adobo]

It is taught in the pool by PADI. I'm sure there are several videos on this nowadays as there are videos on all the skills taught in the pool (24?). It was my worst skill and held up my DM certification until I could do it to demonstration quality. There are more steps to this than any other skill except possibly "out of air and ascent with buddy". One thing to remember is that once you are about to flip the tank around your back into position to now get your left arm back in, be violent with it-- really shove it around your back hard-- and don't be drifting around. Now, I did the skill on my knees, but same is probably true if you are neutrally buoyant ij the water column. This was not done in open water-- only done there on the surface.

The only reason I can see you'd ever do this for real is if you are entangled and have to remove it to fix thing, or an equipment failure of some kind. I have taken it off to exit out on rocks, and put it on when in the water, but in 900+ dives never off & on at once.

The inspiration for me starting this thread has to do with two videos I saw recently. In this first video, I see two DM candidates working together practicing gear removal, exchanging gear and putting gear back on. All the while, buddy breathing on one regulator [side note: anyone know why 1) this is done on their knees? and 2) why they don't offer knee pads for those wearing shorty wetsuits?]


For the life of me, I couldn't work out what scenario this exercise would be useful. Maybe double entanglement and one diver OOA at the same time?

I am of the opinion that taking your gear off underwater is a pointless skill. Even in the case where one is "entangled" in fishing line (as an example), I am not convinced that taking one's gear off isn't going to make the situation worse. One could potentially make the entanglement worse where the line wraps itself in a way that ties up one of the divers limbs, pulls the diver's reg out or wraps around the divers neck. It is far more practical to have your buddy address the entanglement. In the case of gear issues such as bubbles billowing out of the first stage, I would submit that effing around underwater is not the solution. The solution is, thumb the dive, keep your buddy close and keep an eye on your SPG.

Anyways, whether you agree with me on the usefulness of this particular skill or not, it seems that DM training for this skill is quite effective. It seems some DMs are going to this go to maneuver to solve problems underwater on recreational dives. This brings us to a second video I saw recently:


Now, I will not say that I am as skilled, experienced or wise as the DM in the above video. But IMHO, removing his BC due to the issue he ran into seemed wholly unnecessary. And that ascent, wow. That took quite a bit of skill and calm under pressure. Probably would have been a whole lot easier if his gear was on his back and not in his hand.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

In the above video, where there was a lot of bubbles coming out of the first stage, if I had taken it off, I would have taken the regulator off the tank, and hooked it up again, to see if it still worked. Note that I dive mostly solo, and that diver had a buddy and could use his octopus.

Now, concerning entanglement with fishing line, I suggest using a dive knife rather than a doff and don. I have many times used my knife to eliminate this type of hazard, cutting both fishing lines and heavier throw lines with a weight. Even with a really bad entanglement, I simply cut it off and awaited my exit to see what it really looked like.

But, here is my experience from last summer with a required open water (river) doff and don. I had a real problem that I felt was better taken care of underwater than on the surface, or at shore.

---

SeaRat

 

[TMHeimer]

Perhaps over the head is easier. I don't know, having not been taught that way. I'm sure as well that there are situations where gear removal can make entanglement worse and use of the knife can be better. I'm not one to comment, never having been in that situation or ever had to use my knife.
There is also the possibility that doffing & donning your own unit is simply a simpler task than exchanging units with a buddy as in the DM course. And that part of the reason is simply to task load the student. But, on the surface, it does seem very practical as even I have done that as I mentioned, but not both doffing & donning together-- one or the other.

 

[lowwall]

Most doff and dons outside of training are due to entanglement or the tank slipping out of the cam band. Your buddy should be there to help, but it doesn't always happen.

 

[Blackcrusader]

I am of the opinion that taking your gear off underwater is a pointless skill.

Tell that to this lass who sorted her own tank slip. I had to remove my gear on a night dive when ascending on the outside of a wreck and into a fishing net. The other divers I waved off so they could just let me do it myself so they did not get entangled. Also they provided extra lighting. I had to cut net away from the first stage and tank knob.

 

[Raphus]

The skill in the DM course has no practical use. Its for taskloading and called stresstest.

The skill in owd is also mostly for taskloading and balance. But its good to know how to remove it in case if entanglement, even when i personally dont see the need for it

If you gonna remove your unit. Make the rig neutral.
I loosen my straps and before i slip out, i just pump air in it so its neutral. This way its really easy and you dont loose balance.
You need to have enough weigth on you to not shoot up of course..

If you want to do it neutral: same way, just get the amount if weigth in a belt,so you are neutral aswell.

 

[Adobo]

Tell that to this lass who sorted her own tank slip. I had to remove my gear on a night dive when ascending on the outside of a wreck and into a fishing net. The other divers I waved off so they could just let me do it myself so they did not get entangled. Also they provided extra lighting. I had to cut net away from the first stage and tank knob.

View attachment 720465

Learn how to take your BC off underwater as it is likely you will find yourself in a situation where your tank has slipped off the tank strap. Hmmm... sounds like a band aid for a hatchet wound.

I would like to think that tanks falling out like that is unusual but I have seen it a handful of times myself watching people walking into our out of the water at a popular local beach dive. To me, this speaks more about a fundamental defect in most BCs - they only come with one tank strap. I have never seen this on a BC that comes with two tank straps.

 

[KPrawn]

My scuba training was less mainstream than the majority. I've never been taught or even been shown how to remove my BC under water. I have been shown how to take a fellow diver's BC off on the surface to facilitate more expedient towing of a distressed diver. I have heard on some occasions and read some posts in the past that other divers either have been taught this skill or at least have had it demo'd as an underwater skill in one of their classes.

When is this skill typically taught? And more importantly, in what scenario would a diver be using this skill?

I've just completed my OW PADI training after 15 years out the water i remember doing an actual removal replacement at depth back then but most recently we did full removal replacement on the bottom in a pool environment then we did a surface removal replacement during our boat dive. Tips i found really important release all you straps for ease of removal replacement, tank removes from your back left to right so you maintain your regulator and hence replaces right to left.
Imagine your tangled in fishing line is a good scenario for this procedure you may need remove gear then cut yourself free replace gear and carry on, or wreck, cave diving you may need move through an opening thats too small

 

[Cthippo]

I did this skill in the pool on my OW (SDI), but not in the ocean. It was weird because all the other skills had been discussed on the surface, and I was expecting, but my instructor just demonstrated it underwater and then said "do it". OK...

Thing is, I'm a firefighter and we practice this all the time for profile reduction. Either a partial removal for going through a stud bay or a full removal if you just won't fit any other way. Granted, I have yet to be at risk of floating to the surface in a fire, but still, work through it with a little bit of struggle.

When we got back to the surface I asked if that was an entanglement drill and was told that mostly it was to induce a little bit of panic in students in a controlled environment.